


Pining

by robonoise



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Crushes, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Heartwarming, Idiots in Love, M/M, Non-Canon Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25400443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robonoise/pseuds/robonoise
Summary: Five moments when Zuko and Sokka fell for each other, just a little harder.
Relationships: Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 49
Kudos: 470





	1. Learn to Dance

Once everyone was asleep, Zuko and Sokka talked. Sokka told him about the time when Aang enrolled in a Fire Nation school and introduced his friends to dancing, punctuating the story with wild hand gestures and stifled laughter. Zuko had received personal tuition in the Royal Palace, and had hardly attended school. Nevertheless, he knew what he was hearing was scandalous.

“He _danced_? Out of turn? In a Fire Nation school?” Zuko’s eyes were wide.

“You missed the best part of the story. We threw a cave rave, and me and Katara posed as-”

Zuko laughed in disbelief. “You’re all so… different. You think differently to Fire Nation people.”

Sokka looked mildly offended.

“That’s a compliment.” Zuko added.

“So, we didn’t just catch you on a bad day? You _really_ weren’t allowed to dance back home?” Sokka asked, clasping a hand over his heart, as if the mere suggestion were enough to kill him.

“Don’t be so dramatic.” Zuko chided. He paused for a moment, brows furrowed. “Of course we danced. We are – _were_ nobles. Just… in a certain way.” When he looked back up, Sokka’s hand was shoved in his face.

“Show me?”

 _This is not happening_ , Zuko thought, as he narrowed his eyes and took hold of Sokka’s hand. Sokka put his free hand on Zuko’s shoulder, earning him a quirked eyebrow.

“Come on,” Sokka said, smiling bashfully. “You must have seen people dance like this in those fancy Palace ballrooms.”

Sokka was right. At one time, he and Azula had even danced together like this, much to their shared chagrin. Zuko remembered attending galas, parties, banquets and balls, dressed uncomfortably – _properly_ , as his mother would say – in tightly buttoned shirts and gilded shoes. He watched, often from the ballroom’s walls, as esteemed men and women moved together faultlessly. Zuko always burned with discomfort when he made it to the centre of the room.

It felt differently this time around. Instead of dark, sharp eyes scrutinising his every move, Sokka’s blue ones followed him curiously. The hand in his was gentle and cautious. Each step was playful, thoughtless. Zuko may have even been mistaken for enjoying himself, as he absent-mindedly raised Sokka’s arm above his head and span him in a circle. His other hand never strayed far from Sokka’s waist.

“It’s coming back to me.” Zuko admitted, a tiny smile evident in his voice.

“You’re quite the gentleman.” Sokka teased. “Bet the Fire Nation ladies were lining up for a chance to shake it with you.”

Zuko rolled his eyes and nudged Sokka’s foot with his. There was no malice in the action.

“Hardly. I hated dancing like this.”

Sokka tilted his head.

“I mean,” Zuko continued, “Everybody was watching. I didn’t even really know the girls I was dancing with, except Azula. They were the daughters of diplomats, ministers, and councillors I had never met – I was told who to dance with, and how to do it. It was embarrassing.”

“You felt out of place? But you’re…” Zuko turned, sweeping Sokka along with him. Sokka laughed breathlessly. “A natural.”

Zuko shrugged. “Nobody’s watching now.”

“I am.”

A beat.

“That’s different, too.” Zuko’s eyes darted to the ground, and he dropped Sokka’s hand. “Uh. We should get some sleep.” He pressed his lips together nervously, turning to walk back to his tent. He hoped Sokka hadn’t realised that he was blushing.

Sokka smiled after him. He didn’t expect Zuko to feel totally comfortable with them straight away. But this felt like a good step forward.

Nearby, Toph grinned to herself. She was laying down, one foot on the ground and the other crossed over her leg. She had felt the soft vibration of every step the two boys took.

Katara was going to _love_ this.


	2. Sokka the Swordfighter

The table shook under the force of Zuko’s fist.

Aang and Katara could not remember what Sokka and Zuko had started arguing about. Ribs had been elbowed, hand gestures had been made, and insults had been hurled before Sokka, hands on his hips, challenged Zuko to a swordfight.

“What’s the matter? Scared you’ll lose?” Sokka jeered.

Zuko seethed.

“I am a far better swordfighter than you’ll _ever_ be.”

“I trained under Piandao!”

“So did I. For longer.” Zuko paused. He felt petty today. “And I bet he liked me more.”

Sokka scoffed in disbelief. “That’s it. You and me. Tonight.”

"Fine."

"FINE."

Sokka angrily grabbed his tea and, without thinking twice, downed it in a single gulp. He was tough and he feared nothing. Least of all hot chamomile.

Zuko and Sokka stormed away. Katara turned to Aang.

“Should we have stepped in?” She asked.

“Are you crazy?” Aang grinned. “This is going to be great!”

That evening, Zuko and Sokka stood across from each other in the temple grounds. Aang, Katara, and Toph watched from the sidelines.

“Now, in the interests of entertainment,” Sokka began grandly, eliciting a sigh from Zuko. “I bet I’ll win this match. In fact,” his hand flew to his belt, and Zuko noticed a glint of metal. “I’ll let you keep my boomerang for a week if I lose.”

“The stakes are high, I see.”

“That they are. Especially because, if I win, you have to refer to me as _Hotman_ for a week.” Sokka grinned, delighted with himself. Zuko groaned. This was clearly a ridiculous ploy, engineered by Sokka, specifically to get on his nerves.

It was working.

“Seriously?”

“You said my hair looked dumb. You’re lucky this isn’t a battle to the death.”

Zuko almost laughed, and drew his dual broadswords. “I meant every word.” He teased.

Sokka smiled, pulling his sword from its scabbard. “You’re on.”

Aang and Katara watched in amazement as Zuko and Sokka chased each other around the arena. Toph excitedly tracked every footstep and crash of blades, cheering wildly regardless of whoever currently had the upper hand.

Zuko hated to admit it, but Sokka was _incredible._ It was hard to keep his defences up when he had spent most of the fight wondering how Sokka had gotten so good. He was quick, he was clever, and he was serious. His mind briefly cast back to the first time they had fought, at Sokka’s village. How different things had been then. He lingered on the memory and the unexpected regret it brought. Crucially, he lost focus.

Sokka noticed Zuko’s eyes drop just for a moment. Perfect. Sokka jammed his foot into Zuko’s knee, and before he knew it Zuko was flat out on his back.

Sokka wanted to brag, but he was too tired to string together a sentence. Zuko was a brilliant swordsman, and – though Sokka would never admit it – had he not been distracted, he likely would have won. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, and knelt down to grin at Zuko.

“I’d never let anyone take my boomerang.” Sokka huffed.

Zuko propped himself up on his elbows, breathing deeply.

“You got lucky.” Zuko said, feeling a little silly as he added: “Hotman.”

Sokka cackled as he reached out, taking Zuko’s hand and pulling him to his feet. “Dork.” He slung an arm around Zuko’s shoulder and they walked away, both beaming as they prattled madly about swords and stances. Their admiration for one another shone with each wisecrack.

Aang, Katara, and Toph agreed on one thing. Their argument earlier had been an excuse.


	3. Nightlight

Zuko struggled to sleep.

It had been a long day of training: hot, tough, and tense. He expected to be out like a light the moment he hit the ground. Yet there he was, hours later, eyes still open and resigned to spending the rest of the night awake. He stared up into the sky and counted stars to pass the time.

A sniffle broke the silence. Zuko shot up and searched for its source.

The shaking silhouette of one of his teammates was just visible in the dark. He tried to remember who had set their bed down where last night.

“Hello?” Zuko whispered.

The figure stilled. He hazarded a guess.

“Aang?”

A silence hung in the air.

“Go back to sleep.” A small voice replied. Sokka. He sniffed again and tucked his head to his chest.

“I wasn’t sleeping.”

It was a wonder Zuko didn’t wake anybody when he marched towards Sokka and dumped his bedding down beside him. He didn’t want to leave Sokka alone. Zuko had started to understand that, in this ragtag gang of rebels, people cared for each other.

“Zuko -”

“Are you okay?” Zuko lay down, facing Sokka’s back. For a moment, Sokka didn’t move. Then, Zuko heard Sokka’s hair rustle as he nodded against his pillow.

“It’s okay.” Sokka managed. “Really. Go to sleep.”

That wasn’t happening. Zuko reached out and squeezed Sokka’s shoulder. “Look at me.”

Sokka turned onto his back. He peeked in Zuko’s direction and wiped his cheeks with the palms of his hands.

“I had a nightmare.” He confessed, hastening to add: “I know, it’s lame. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Zuko was floored. Logically, he knew Sokka had weathered his fair share of terror and grief, just like the rest of them. Yet he had never known Sokka to show it. He had certainly never seen Sokka cry.

“Sokka, I wasn’t sleeping.” Zuko's voice was gentle, reassuring. “I understand,” he continued. “I have bad dreams sometimes, too. You’re not lame.”

“That’s pretty high praise.” Sokka retorted. He was being sarcastic, but his tone had noticeably softened.

Zuko smiled, though the joke was not enough to ease his concern. His hand hadn’t left Sokka’s shoulder, after all. “Well, you are. But not for this.”

They shared a hushed laugh. Zuko hesitated to speak again.

“Should I stay?”

Not a second passed before Sokka cocooned them both in blankets. Both boys had underestimated how comforting it felt to fall asleep next to somebody else. Sokka didn’t stir for the rest of the night. Neither did Zuko.

Zuko always woke up at sunrise. It was a habit he knew he’d never kick. Today, he was awake far before anybody else. He rolled to his left, eyes squinted in the sunlight.

Objectively speaking, Sokka looked gross. His face was pillow-creased, he had drool caked on his chin, and his wiry brown hair sprang out in a million different directions. He snored. Zuko didn’t understand why he couldn’t stop looking at him. He extended a hand and idly brushed a lock of hair from Sokka’s forehead. Zuko noticed his face twitch.

“Good morning.” Zuko said.

“Mmhm.” Sokka mumbled. How was Zuko saying words? What time was it? “Y’stole the blankets.”

Zuko deadpanned. “These blankets are on _loan_ to you.”

“Gimme.” Sokka nestled closer, drowsy and uninhibited. He didn’t really want to argue. Zuko was everything in the morning that he wasn’t during the day: warm, soft, soothing. It was nice.

Zuko desperately looked for a reason to find Sokka annoying. He couldn’t find one. “Hey-”

“Shhh. Sleepy time now.” Sokka paused. “You rise with the sun? Could you be any more Fire Nation?” He snickered, looking at Zuko through bleary eyes.

Zuko huffed, but he – rather generously, in his opinion – surrendered the blankets and closed his eyes. He wasn’t going to sleep. He just felt that Sokka was owed a little peace and quiet. Sokka’s snores droned on again within minutes.

For the first time in a while, Zuko wanted to spend more time in bed.


	4. Beifong's BFF

Zuko and Toph’s friendship began as a source of great entertainment for Sokka.

He found it pretty hilarious. _The_ Zuko - the gang’s former arch nemesis, heir apparent to the throne of a merciless dictatorship, fire-shooting maniac - pink as a rose and linking arms with a little girl, listening politely as she described every detail of her life in the Earth Kingdom.

Sokka couldn’t remember when it had stopped being funny and had become, instead, _unbearably_ adorable. Maybe it was when Toph learned about Zuko’s blindness in his left eye, and then made him spend the rest of the day with a hand over his right. Or was it was the way Zuko had laughed when Toph first called him _Sparky_? Perhaps it was when Toph goaded Zuko into shooting fire at her, and he radiated pride as she blocked every flare. Each time, Sokka had watched with a small smile, his heart warmed by how kind Zuko had allowed himself to become.

He was less happy to realise that, maybe, Zuko was Toph’s new favourite.

Zuko was puzzled when Sokka said as much over dinner. The way he saw it, there was no way that Toph liked him more than she liked Sokka. When Zuko and Toph were together, she talked about Sokka constantly. Zuko had heard countless anecdotes about Sokka: the fearless hero who had saved her life, the compassionate friend there to console her, the world’s greatest comedian who never failed to make her laugh. Toph painted vivid pictures, unfamiliar to Zuko, of Sokka as wise, brave, and protective. Zuko was captivated by each story.

 _How dare he steal his favourite Earthbender_ , Sokka had said. Zuko spat out in embarrassment that he was _being ridiculous_ and _causing problems over nothing_ and, most critically, _is it a surprise I’m her favourite?_

Sokka refused to let him take it back.

A light bulb went off in Toph’s head one evening as the boys continued to argue.

“Toph, who do you like more?” Sokka and Zuko shouted in unison. Toph blinked.

“Well, you’re both dweebs.” The boys groaned in frustration.

“But, if you like,” Toph’s face lit up with glee. “We can put it to the test.”

The following afternoon, Toph called the boys out to the courtyard. She explained that she had masterminded a series of challenges, specially designed to prove which boy was the better friend. For hours, they were evenly matched. When Sokka sped through a game of hopscotch, Zuko brewed the better cup of lychee tea. When Zuko invented the superior secret handshake, Sokka told jokes that split Toph’s sides.

Toph had intended the challenge to last three, maybe four, rounds tops. She couldn’t bring herself to end it there. She heard Zuko and Sokka laugh, not at, but _with_ each other when they slipped up. She felt Sokka jab Zuko, and knew that Zuko wasn’t slapping him away as hard as he could be. Their hearts felt steady and at ease. They were enjoying themselves, and so was she.

Toph had no choice but to add twelve extra rounds.

Gradually, the boys forgot about Toph altogether. Each challenge chipped away at their fierce competitiveness. Zuko tried not to laugh when Sokka pulled faces at him during a staring contest. Sokka would insist that he did not turn red when Zuko grasped his hand for an arm wrestle. Every subsequent round was delayed by their playful joking, and their commitment to victory softened.

By the time she announced the conclusion of the sixteenth round, Toph was far more bored than they were. Zuko and Sokka glanced at each other, stunned at how the afternoon had flown by.

“What do you think, Toph?” Zuko asked. His voice was quiet, betraying a hint of nervousness.

"There's no way you won after _that_ pictionary round." Sokka winked at Zuko, cackling when Zuko replied with a swift elbow to his ribs.

Toph paused thoughtfully, then grinned at the space between them. Now it was her turn to have some fun.

“I think you like each other more than you like me!”

Sokka and Zuko spluttered, but their fervent, stammered protests meant little to Toph. Through the ground, she had felt their hearts flutter.


	5. Made For Each Other

It was a quiet morning when the gang decided to don disguises and visit a small Fire Nation town. Aang insisted that everybody was in need of a little fun, and nobody could argue. Though they had started their day on edge, nervously scanning the streets they walked down for enemies and pulling their hoods extra tightly over their heads, they were soon talking casually as though wandering through friendly territory. The town was sleepy, and it was easy to feel like a tourist whilst browsing market stalls and peering into shop windows. Sokka split from Katara, Aang, and Toph in the afternoon to scuttle into a small bookshop, excited at the prospect of discovering something useful in there. He dragged Zuko, and his wallet, along, too.

Much to Sokka’s disappointment, this bookshop did not specialise in top-secret maps and Fire Nation secrets. The boys still found much of interest: Zuko pored over military history books, keen to exercise his newly critical eye, whilst Sokka flitted around the shop, beaming as if recognising an old friend whenever he spotted a title from Wan Shi Tong’s library.

This book looked unassuming when Sokka had found it in the darkest, dustiest corner of the shop. It was a slim novel, bound in red leather, with a title lettered on its cover in gold calligraphy. The script was beautiful, but unfamiliar. When he thrust the book in Zuko’s face, Zuko translated it: _A Tale of Fire and Ice._

Zuko narrowed his eyes. “It sounds boring. I hope you don’t think I’m paying for that.”

Sokka persisted. “I have a good feeling about it _._ C’mon, I’ll pay you back. _”_

The cashier’s eyes widened when Sokka placed the book, face-up, on the counter.

He smiled fondly. “ _A Tale of Fire and Ice?_ Why, I forgot I had this. A long-forgotten story of a…” The cashier gestured loosely. “Close friendship, between a man from the Fire Nation and a man from the Water Tribe. One of many books banned by Fire Lord Sozin.”

Zuko and Sokka nodded understandingly. Of _course_ any text promoting friendship between nations would be banned.

“It’s yours for two silver pieces.”

Zuko paid.

The boys forgot about the book for a few days. They did not have many opportunities to read between constant missions, after all. Soon after Sokka re-discovered the book among his belongings, though, he and Zuko began reading it together one evening.

Sokka reminded Zuko to _never judge a book by its cover_ , and though Zuko sighed at the saying he was surprised by how much he was interested in the story. It followed Ozun, a Fire Nation soldier-turned-traitor, and Haku, a Water Tribe warrior, who saved Ozun from death during a raid on Haku’s village. Haku had refused to kill Ozun when he found him injured, choosing instead to rush him to safety. Both men were resigned to a life on the run after that.

Sokka furrowed his brow when they finished the first chapter. “He _helped_ a raider? That sounds pretty unbelievable.”

Zuko smirked. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, Sokka.”

Not before long, reading together became routine for Sokka and Zuko. The boys typically huddled together most nights after dinner, each holding one side of the book. For the first few chapters, Ozun and Haku could not get along. Haku was plagued with the regret of betraying his people to save an enemy soldier. Ozun battled the humiliation of owing his life to a _Water Tribe peasant -_ a phrase that mortified Zuko, but made Sokka giggle with delight when they found it in the book. Both men missed their homes terribly.

“Y’know, this Ozun guy sounds pretty dishonourable. Much like someone else I know.” Sokka joked late one night. He did not know what to make of the pensive expression tight on Zuko’s face when he looked over.

Zuko pressed his lips together, then spoke timidly. “I understand how he feels.”

Sokka smiled. “I think he’ll come around.”

As the story unfolded, Sokka’s prediction proved correct. Ozun and Haku grew closer because of the dangers they faced together, and before the boys knew it they were swept along on a fully-fledged adventure. At first, Zuko complained that there was little point to the story, that it would have made more sense for the two men to infiltrate the Fire Nation and try to end the war. Sokka concluded that Zuko was _allergic to fun_ , and maintained that there was something special about such an old text portraying friendship between nations.

As Ozun and Haku grew closer, so did Sokka and Zuko. It started with very small touches. They were gripped by the dangers Ozun and Haku faced in the Serpent’s Pass, following the story as they sat shoulder-to-shoulder, their knees brushing. It was not all so anxiety-inducing, though. Sokka wrapped an arm around Zuko, both boys cackling wildly at Ozun and Haku being chased through the streets of an Earth Kingdom city for stealing food. At times, their misadventures reminded the boys of themselves.

Eventually, it was agreed that Sokka could read both Ozun and Haku’s dialogue. Though he had begun with goofy caricatures, Zuko was spellbound by how Sokka came to recreate their more sensitive conversations, doubts, and worries. When he was feeling brave, Zuko rested his head on Sokka’s shoulder and just listened. Sokka always leant into him in return. Zuko read sometimes, too. Sokka struggled to forgive Zuko for making him cry, with the heart-wrenching way he described Haku’s injuries in chapter seven. The boys cheered when Ozun nursed him back to health, as Haku had done pages ago.

One night, long after everyone else had gone to bed, Sokka sat with his back to Zuko, rested his head on Zuko’s chest, and listened to him read. Though Sokka’s hair bristled against his collar, Zuko never felt uncomfortable. Nowadays, neither could remember a time they were not sat so close. When they were alone, the boys naturally forgot the space between them. That evening, Zuko read the final passage of the book. The story ended with a kiss between Ozun and Haku.

Zuko closed the book, stunned.

“They weren’t just good friends.”

Sokka sat up and shook his head in awe. “That shopkeeper had it all wrong.”

Blue eyes met amber. For a minute, neither boy spoke.

“Do you think it was true?” Sokka asked tentatively, not moving from Zuko’s side.

Zuko felt as though he was holding a precious, secret scrap of someone’s life, rescued from the dustbin of history. Could something like this have really happened? “Possibly. I wonder who wrote it? A story about people from the Fire Nation and Water Tribe… falling in love. They must have gotten into a lot of trouble.”

Sokka plucked the book from Zuko’s hands and leafed through it, but could not find an author’s name. He shrugged.

“I’m not sure. It was written a long time ago, right? Long before people knew it was okay to fraternize with the enemy.” Sokka nudged Zuko in the ribs, with none of his usual force.

“I’m embarrassed that Sozin banned this.” Zuko frowned. “Yet another thing my family did wrong. Things could have been so different if more stories like this were around before the war.”

He had not expected Sokka’s agreement to come so quickly. “And did you ever notice that Ozun and Haku were the only characters? A man and woman from the Fire Nation and Water Tribe would have had enough trouble being together.” Sokka paused, as if the enormity of what they had read was almost beyond understanding. He continued softly. “But two _men_? All they had were each other. Maybe they wouldn’t have been alone, if stories like this were around back then.”

Zuko felt something warm stirring in him as he listened to Sokka’s earnest defence - of a _romance novel_ , of all things.

“You’re a hopeless romantic.” Zuko said before he could stop himself, his bitter tone long gone. “Sozin would have hated you.”

“It’s a good thing his great-grandson’s a fan.”

Zuko snorted with laughter, put at ease by Sokka’s joke. A still moment followed. Carefully, Sokka rested his hand on top of Zuko's.

“I’ve really enjoyed reading this book. Uh, with you.”

“Me too.” Zuko raised his hand to thread his fingers between Sokka's. The boys shared a shy smile.

They sat like that for a while, hand in hand, watching the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew!
> 
> I started writing these little stories to pass time during my country’s lockdown. Thank you all so much for the lovely comments & kudos left on this work. I hope you are all staying safe, wherever you are in the world!


End file.
